Lack of Motivation? It May Be Emotional Exhaustion, Not Laziness
Lack of motivation is often due to emotional exhaustion and disconnection, not laziness. Chances are you’ve been pushing yourself too hard while carrying grief, shame, and/or disappointment. Trying to make things happen through burnout and will power alone rarely works.
Motivation comes from connected energy. Connection to your authentic self, your beliefs, and those things that make you light up.
If you are feeling unmotivated, take a look around your internal self. Is the thing you think you should be doing really something you want to do, or have you just been pushing so hard that you’re too exhausted to enjoy it?
If it isn’t something you really want to do, maybe it’s time to let it go. Releasing agreements you have said yes to previously is not going back on a commitment, it’s honoring your truth. There may be certain things that will take some time to unravel, such as legal contracts or other such things, but there is always a way out. It may mean some losses, and those may hurt initially, but in the end it will be for the better.
What Causes a Lack of Motivation?
If it is something you really want to do but you're too exhausted to enjoy it, then it’s time to look at what is going on within that is holding your energy at bay. Your internal system may be asking for a reprieve from any or all of the following:
Fear is a large demotivator. When you let all the fears pile up, they will weigh you down to the point of no action. In the Anonymous 12-step programs, FEAR is used as an acronym for False Evidence Appearing Real. This False Evidence will show you all the reasons why you shouldn’t do something. It looks into the future and shows you all the worrisome possibilities as if they were certain fact. They are not certain fact.
Shame is another demotivator. Shame compiles all of your past mistakes and enlarges them into an insurmountable pile of evidence of your lack of ability. Shame asks, “How do you think you can do this thing? You’ve failed SO MANY times before! Who do you think you are? You are unworthy of doing such a cool thing.” It looks to the past and presents it as fact of your capabilities. It is NOT fact of your capabilities.
Burnout happens when you’re fighting against what you don’t want to do combined with fear of the future and shame of the past. You try so hard to be the good person and honor all your perceived commitments, even the ones you never really agreed to. You struggle with all the worrisome possibilities to ensure they don’t happen. All while trying to prove that the pile of shame isn’t true.
You work for all hours of the day, never taking a break (because that only adds to the shame pile), and collapsing at the end of the day in a fitful sleep…only to do it all again tomorrow.
Reconnect With Yourself to Restore Motivation
When you allow yourself the time, rest, and reconnection to your authentic self you can stop the cycle.
Give yourself the time for curiosity and inspiration. Allow yourself moments of creativity and inspiration. Let your brain wander and see what it comes up with. You have all the answers within you , but they often don't surface until you give yourself permission to slow down and explore with curiosity. You KNOW what’s right for you and what isn’t.
Give your mind and body a moment to rest. Muscles were never meant to be used 24/7. There are moments when they are needed and moments when recovery is required. Your mind is an organ that functions like a muscle and requires downtime. Your body is a group of muscles that require recovery time. They only grow stronger if they have rest.
Give yourself the opportunity to reconnect with your internal divine spark, the light within that sparks joy and excitement. That light within is your internal compass. It will show you your true North, the direction you most want to go. This spark provides the inspiration and meaningful desire to take action on your BIG Dreams.
These practices reconnect you with yourself, and motivation naturally follows. They will give you the energy to clear out what is no longer working so that you can move forward towards what you know is right for you…your BIG Dream.
Natural Motivation Comes From Connection
Don’t worry if these practices show you a path you’ve never seen before. Don’t worry if they show you a path that goes against what everyone has ever told you. Those others don’t know or understand what is within you. The path may look unknown, but chances are you’ve caught glimpses of it before and chosen not to explore it.
This is your personal motivation machine that stokes your divine spark and builds the fire to take action and make your life happen. It comes from being connected to your authentic self and builds natural curiosity and creativity in everything you do. Even in the times when it feels like it’s so hard to continue on, this motivation will inspire you to do just one little thing to move you forward ... to keep the ball rolling, even if it is slowly. And that is enough.
One of the most beautiful things about reconnecting with yourself is that you don't have to force it. Your dreams, your excitement, and your natural motivation have been there all along, patiently waiting beneath the noise, exhaustion, and expectations you've been carrying. Sometimes all you need is a little quiet space to hear them again.
If you're ready to reconnect with the part of yourself that still dreams, I'd love to invite you to download my FREE BIG Dream Visualization. This guided experience is designed to help you quiet the outside world, reconnect with your Divine Spark, and rediscover the dreams and desires that are uniquely yours. It may just be the first gentle step toward finding your motivation again.